Adjustable rocker side bearing.



1.1. HENNESSEY.

ADJUSTABLE HOOKER vSIDE BEARING.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I7, 1916.

Patented Dec. 26, 1916.

rarnnr ernten.

JOHN J. HENNESSEY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

ADJUSTABLE ROCKER SIDE BEARING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 26, 1916.

Application filed April 17, 1916. Serial No. 91,593.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN J. HENNnssnY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of lVisconsin, have invented a certain nen7 and useful Improvement in Adjustable Rocker Side Bearings, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in adjustable rocker side bearings.

The object of the invention is to provide a rocker side bearing adapted for use on railway cars and so arranged that adjustment may be obtained in accordance with t-he spacing between the car bolsters.

Another and more specific object of the invention is to provide a gravity rocker side bearing employing a horizontal reciprocating top plate and having means to adjust the height of the top plate relatively to the base member of the side bearing.

The invention furthermore consists in the improvements in the parts and devices and in the novel combinations of the parts and devices herein shown, described or claimed.

In the drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is an end elevation of portions of a body and truck bolster showmy improvements in connection therewith. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the improved side bearing and taken substantially on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, the section being upon an enlarged scale. Figs. 3 and 4: are transverse, vertical, sectional views of the side bearing taken on the lines 3-3 and 1 -1 respectively of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the retaining plates.

In said drawing, 10 denotes a body bolster which is pivotally connected at the center to the truck bolster 11 in the usual manner, the body bolster being provided with a striking plate 12 which cooperates with my improved side bearing designated generally by the reference A and which is mounted on the truck bolster.

The improved side bearing A comprises a base casting B, reciprocating top plate C, a pair of gravity rockers Dw-D and centering spring E, and in addition various details of construction hereinafter described. The base member or casting B is provided with a flat horizontal base 13, bearing surfaces 15 for each of the rockers D, each bearing surface 15 having a centrally located, longitudinally extending ridge to conform to the shape of the rocker D, as hereinafter described, and a transversely extending center wall 16, the latter having a pair of upstanding longitudinally extending wider flanges 116. Each of the rockers D is provided with a lower bearing surface 17 which is grooved on its periphery to correspond to the contour of the bearing surface 15. The lower surface of each rocker D is also provided with a series of recesses 18 which coperate with a corresponding series of bosses or projections 19 provided on the base casting and by which the rockers are maintained in proper position. Each rocker D is also provided with inclined side walls 20-20, the inner side walls 20 of the rockers coperating with the said flanges 116 to limit the movements of the rockers, one rocker engaging one side of said flanges 116 when the side bearing is actuated in one direction, and vice versa. The top plate C is provided on the under side thereof, near ,each end, with pockets 21 in which are mounted a bearing plate 22 and one or more shims 23, it being understood that the bearing plate 22 is provided with a curved surface on its under side which coperates with the correspondingly shaped upper end 24 of the rocker. The top wall of the plate C is suitably perforated asindicated at 25-25 over each of said pockets 21 to thereby facilitate removal of the bearing plates 22 and shims 23. The spring E is attached to the plate C by means of a pin 26 seated in a corresponding recess 27 in said top plate C, the lower end of the spring E being connected to an eye bolt 28, which passes through a suitable perforation in the transverse wall 16, the bolt 28 being held in place by a nut 29 seated in a counter sink in the bottom face of the plate B.

The side walls 30-30 of the top plate C are provided with longitudinally extending tongues and grooves 31-31 with which cooperate corresponding tongues and grooves 32 formed on the inner faces of two retaining plates 33-33 detachably and adjustably secured to said side walls 30 by means of cotters 34 which pass through outwardly extending lugs 35 formed on said side walls 30, said lugs 35 passing through vertically extended slots 36 formed in said retaining plates 33. Each of the retaining plates 33 is provided with an inwardly extended flange 37 at its lower edge, which over-laps a longitudinal, outwardly extending flange 38 formed along the upper edge of the side wall 14C of the base casting.

In operation, when the two bolsters move radially of each other, the top plate C will be shifted longitudinally of the base casting B and upon removal of the pressure, said top plate C will be returned to normal position under the influence oit' the spring E and the gravity'rockers D. The movement oie the plate C is limited in either direction, as heretofore described. To adjust the upper surface of the plate C relatively to the base casting, it is apparent that this can be done by employing a greater or lesser number of shims 23 and when such adjustment is made, the retaining plates 33 are also adjusted vertically on the side walls 30 of the plate C by changing the engagement oi' the tongues and grooves, the retaining plates being held in position by the cotters 3-4- as heretofore described. It will be understood that said retaining plates prevent accidental lifting oi' the top plate C from the base plate B to thus avoid depending entirely upon the spring E for this purpose.

Although I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred embodiment of my invention, the same is merely illustrative and I contemplatel all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

l. The combination in a side bearing of a base member, a top plate, rockers inter? posed between said top plate and base member, and means for adjusting the operative height of said top plate relatively to the Y' base member.

between said top plate and base member,

and means for adjusting the operative height of said top plate relatively to the base member, said means including remov- Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve `eents'each, by addressing the and base member, spring means connecting Y said top plate and base member adapted to automatically return the top plate to normal position after each 'actuation of the said bearing, and means for adjusting said top plate vertically relatively to the base member. n

6. The combination in a side bearing of a base member, a pair of rockers mounted thereon, said base member being provided with a transversely extending wall between said rockers, a top plate having pockets on the under side thereof, bearing plates mounted in said pockets and with which the rockers coperate, and removable shims in said pockets interposed between said bearing plates and the top wall of said top plates.

7. The combination in a side bearing, of a bottom member having upstanding side walls provided with outwardly extended iianges, rockers mounted on said base member, a reciprocating top plate, said top plate having depending side walls provided with longitudinally extending tongues and grooves, and retaining plates detachably secured to the side walls of said top plates, said retaining plates having also tongues and grooves coperable with said tongues and grooves on the side walls to thereby permit vertical adjustment relatively to the top plate, said retaining plates being flanged at their lower edges and over-lapping the flanges of the side walls of the base casting.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this lst day of April 1916.

JOHN J. HENNESSEY.

Witnesses:

JAMES E. MEHAN, Y VINCENT D. HnNNEssEY.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

